Dickinson County, MI Courts and Public Records

The 41st Judicial Circuit Court and the District Court serve Dickinson County as the county's trial courts. They handle felonies, misdemeanors, traffic, civil, family, and juvenile matters, and the County Clerk keeps the Circuit Court records.

Have the full name, the case number if you know it, and approximate dates ready before you search. Court records for the county are kept by the County Clerk or by the court that holds the case.

Dickinson County courts received 5,353 new cases in CY 2025 and disposed of 4,597, a clearance rate of 85.9%. Filings rose 24.6% from 4,297 in CY 2024.

The largest movement was in civil filings (812 to 913); the total also includes 2,102 civil infraction and parking filings; rows marked ~ are estimates.

Total filings in Dickinson County rose 17.5% between CY 2021 and CY 2025, from 4,554 to 5,353.

Total filings rose 17.5% over five years, from 4,554 in CY 2021 to 5,353 in CY 2025. The largest annual change was +24.6% in CY 2025. The latest change of +24.6% was driven by civil filings, and dispositions were 4,597 against 5,353 filings.

Criminal cases are the largest category in Dickinson County, at 51.3% of filings in CY 2025.

Probate cases grew fastest (+33.0%) and juvenile cases fell fastest (-19.1%); rows marked ~ are estimates.

Dickinson County accounts for 0.15% of the 3,677,054 cases filed in Michigan courts in CY 2025, with 0.26% of the state's population.

Dickinson County files cases at a lower rate per resident than Michigan (207.3 against 363.1 per 1,000), and its filings rose 24.6% against +7.9% statewide. Its criminal share of filings is above the state's and its civil share is below it; rows marked ~ are estimates.

These figures are Michigan statewide totals as reported to the FBI, not counts for Dickinson County. Agency reporting may be incomplete, and county crime counts are not available here. Statewide violent and property crimes combined fell 8.7% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, reporting agencies covered about 97.3% of Michigan's population, so year-over-year changes can partly reflect which agencies reported.

Rates use the Michigan 2025 population of 10,127,884. County-level rates are not published, so this section does not compare Dickinson County with the state. The property crimes total includes arson, so it is larger than the sum of the property offenses listed above.

Dickinson County court proceedings are held at the Dickinson County Courthouse. Check your notice or case paperwork to confirm the courthouse assigned to your case before you go.

Addresses and phone numbers come from public directory listings and may change, so confirm them with the clerk before you visit.

Your court in Dickinson County depends on the type of case, and this table lists the court that usually handles each one.

Yes, most court records in Dickinson County are open to the public, subject to the exceptions in Michigan Court Rules MCR 8.119. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231 et seq.) also covers records of public bodies.

Public records

Most case files in the Circuit, District, and Probate Courts are open to the public unless a court rule, statute, or court order makes them confidential.

Restricted or confidential records

Juvenile, sealed, expunged, adoption, and mental health records, protective-order-restricted records, and other confidential records are not publicly available.

Online access

Statewide court information is available at courts.michigan.gov. Not every case or document is online, and online access does not reach sealed or confidential records.

In-person access

Request records from the court office that keeps the case: the County Clerk, who is the Clerk of the Circuit Court, for Circuit Court records, or the District or Probate Court for its own records.

Use the steps below to search Dickinson County court records online, and contact the court for documents that are not available online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Find the court that handles that case type using courts.michigan.gov, which is a statewide site.
3. Search by party name or case number where the court offers online access.
4. Review the case details, such as case status and parties.
5. Contact the court office that keeps the case to request documents that are not online.

Traffic citations, criminal fines, and parking tickets are paid through different channels, so contact the court or agency that issued the ticket in Dickinson County.

1. Phone: Call the District Court or the Clerk of the Circuit Court, with the number found on the county's official website. Covers traffic citations and criminal fines. Limits: confirm accepted payment types before you call.
2. In person: Visit the District Court or the Clerk's office at the courthouse. Covers traffic citations and criminal fines. Limits: confirm accepted payment types before you go.

Parking tickets are paid to the agency that issued them, not to the District Court.